McInnes homes in on huge win

Last updated : 23 March 2010 By Team Talk

Those two results have helped take the Saints in to seventh place in the SPL table but after the 3-0 defeat by Celtic at the weekend, McInnes is looking for his players to respond in typically positive fashion.

"We are confident against most teams at home," he said. "We know Falkirk are fighting for their lives and will see it as an opportunity to get three points.

"However, a win for us would be a huge step in our bid to cement our place in the SPL so that is the motivation for us.

"We have beaten them twice this season but they have been tough games and I expect this to be no different.

"It will be hard fought with tension and competitiveness but if we show the form we did against Aberdeen last week, when we beat them 1-0, then we can be confident.

"We needed to go to Celtic Park with our strongest team to do well.

"Any team who has 10 players or so unavailable, as we had, would struggle.

"We wanted to be more positive and ask questions but we didn't disgrace ourselves.

"But we have only lost two on the spin twice this season.

"We have usually fought back and got a result after a defeat and we need that to continue.

"We have the right types in our dressing room to do that and long may it continue."

McInnes is glad to get on-loan striker Cillian Sheridan back into his side after the on-loan Irishman was unable to play against his parent club at the weekend.

With Kenny Deuchar joining the long injury list after picking up an ankle knock at Parkhead, Sheridan will go straight back into the team.

"Cillian scored against Aberdeen and so it was frustrating that he couldn't play against Celtic," the Perth boss said.

"But hopefully he will pick up from where he left off."

Falkirk bounced back to an extent from their defeat by Saints by staying in touch with their relegation rivals with a 2-2 draw at Hamilton on Saturday.

Manager Steven Pressley has urged his side to find some momentum by building on that away point and atoning for their home defeat by Saints.

"I said at the time our performance was good that day, just a couple of fundamentals cost us the game," he said.

"I was delighted by the response and we have nothing to fear. We are a good team and there's a good positivity about us.

"It's a game that can really get us going forward with some momentum. The weekend's game was a platform to build from and we need to add to that.

"At this time of the season, the team that can get the momentum will be vital in terms of survival."